Getting off coal ain’t easy for Los Angeles. Despite a vow by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that the city’s power would be coal-free by 2020, contracts and the complicated grid of power agreements constrain its options — and whatever it does may have repercussions for a Utah national park. L.A.’s contract with a coal-burning plant in central Utah has it locked into a deal to buy power through 2027, and the plant’s growing needs are a big reason why owners want to quintuple the Coal Hollow mine on federal lands just outside the border of Bryce National Park. Park officials are opposed, the BLM has supported the expansion, and the market…usually gets its way. A terrific look at a complex subject in the LA Times.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 11:00 am and is filed under Green, environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.